Tenth Grade Bleeds Read Online Free PDF Page B

under the pretense of watching a nice, severely-lacking-blood-and-gore spy movie instead.
    Vlad looked down at the front of his shirt, which was spattered with small red dots. Several had dried into a rusty brown color. He chewed his bottom lip for a moment, troubled somewhat by Nelly’s reaction. Even after all this time, Nelly still worried she’d come home to find him acting like some sort of animal. She’d never voiced it, but Vlad knew that was how she must feel. After all, it had to be hard for her to live with a vampire all these years. It would be like being a pizza living with Henry for an extended period of time. Say, ten minutes or so.
    The thought made Vlad a little sick to his stomach.
    Otis took Nelly’s hands in his and said, “I would never bring the fruits of my hunts into your home, Nelly. You never have to worry about that. And your ward is rather like a vegetarian, so there’s no cause for alarm there either. We were simply making blood sausage for dinner.”
    Nelly’s eyes lit up. “You’re cooking?”
    Otis’s voice became softer, sweeter. “It’s the least I could do.”
    Vlad almost retched at their flirting. It was the only obnoxious thing about Otis staying with them. He slipped his soiled shirt over his head and headed for the stairs, muttering that he needed to change . . . not that he thought they’d hear him. He still wasn’t sure how he felt about the obvious attraction between Nelly and Otis. On one hand, if they ended up married, he’d have the coolest family on the block. But on the other . . . the idea of them dating was kind of weird.
    Plus, the thought of walking in on them making out was positively repulsive.
    After slipping upstairs to his room and changing his shirt, Vlad took his time rejoining them for dinner. Otis cooked Nelly’s blood sausages and served them with a side of spiced potatoes and buttered asparagus. Vlad’s and Otis’s—much to Vlad’s delight—were served raw. Vlad lifted one up to his mouth and bit into it, his fangs popping through the fleshy casing. The feeling gave him an excited chill, but he said nothing to Otis about it. Even so, his uncle smiled at him as if to say, “See how pleasant it would be to suck the life out of people?”
    After Vlad had drained three sausages, he sat back in his seat, surprisingly satisfied. Nelly smiled at him. “I’ll take care of the dishes. Why don’t you help Otis get ready?”
    Vlad nodded and slowly turned his eyes to Otis, who had finished his meal some time before and was watching Nelly with a sad expression. Without hesitation, Vlad spoke to his uncle telepathically. “You’re going to miss her so much. I can see it in your eyes. Stay, Otis. Please.”
    But Otis wouldn’t hear it. Vlad felt a definite crunch in his head, a signal that Otis had cut him off. Vlad pursed his lips. Otis stood and pulled a watch from his pocket, noting the time. “Thank you, Nelly. It would be nice to spend a moment alone with Vladimir before I leave.”
    Vlad and Otis wordlessly carried Otis’s suitcases upstairs. Otis unzipped the largest suitcase, opened the large bottom drawer of the antique bureau Nelly kept in the corner of the library, and began moving neat stacks of his clothing from the drawer to his luggage. Vlad turned away, unable to watch his uncle choose to leave him and Nelly behind.
    Otis’s voice sounded raspy. “Would you mind gathering my toiletries together? They go in the smallest bag.”
    Vlad grabbed the bag and walked into the bathroom. He took his time filling it—not that he was concerned with neatness or that Otis might fret over leaving his toothbrush behind. He just knew what was coming. It was goodbye. And he really, really didn’t want to face it again. Every time Otis had left him behind, Vlad found it harder to be without him.
    Not to mention the fact that